Kissing the Rod that Chastised Me
by rhettrocksmyworld
Summary: Begins as Rhett leaves Scarlett on the way to Tara, inspired by a line in Gone With the Wind. (The book) Please read and review!
1. The Original Kiss

**A/N: Uh-oh, a new story! I know my faithful readers of** **_Eyes the Color of Ireland_ and _Eyes of Green, Heart of Gold_ probably won't be too happy with me for working on this instead of those, but umm, I wrote this a while ago, and am just now posting it. So don't worry, I'm not quitting those! Anyways, I was re-reading my copy of GWTW the other day and came across a rather interesting passage that I had forgotten about and it sparked my imagination, so now I have about like 20 million stories floating around in my brain. (Not all posted, obviously) So…here goes and lemme know whatcha thing by _REVIEWING_! Without further adieu, I present to you, "_Kissing the Rod that Chastised Me_," by, err, me. **

**Oops, I guess I found a further adieu. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gone With the Wind, any of its characters, yada yada yada, blah blah blah. But seriously. I don't own it. Hmph.**

**_Chapter 1 (The Original Kiss) of Kissing the Rod that Chastised Me_**

"…_**What kind of a fool do you think I am? Kissing the rod that chastised me is not in my line. The South and I are even now." –Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind, Chapter 13**_

How dare he? Laying in her bed at Tara, Scarlett still couldn't believe Rhett had left her—to join the army, no less—and then had kissed her. Her whole day had been unbearable. Tara was the absolute opposite of what she had expected. It was no longer her safe haven, it was…miserable. Mother was gone. Pa might as well be gone. In her sisters she found two more people who needed to be taken care of, and Mammy looked to Scarlett for advice on what to do next. What kind of warped, messed up world had she entered into?

This was her first chance to sit and think since her arrival, and instead of thinking about sensible things, like how they were all going to _live_, she found her thoughts returning to Rhett.

That kiss. Those words. What had he been thinking? What had _she_ been thinking, kissing him back?

She knew what she had been thinking of. His soft lips meeting hers, the pent-up passion exuding from his body, which was pressed up against hers so tightly she could feel his muscles against her body. He had begun kissing her softly, slowly at first, and then, and then he let his emotions guide him, kissing her roughly as if he were trying to consume her.

How she had loved that feeling, of someone else's want, and knowing that you were the only one who could quench their desire. The feeling was overwhelming, she felt both powerful yet helpless against him all at once.

And then she had stopped it. Slapped him across the face so hard that the sound had reverberated throughout the night air. She had told him that she hoped a cannon would catch him, and she really did. Who was he to make her feel such things, and to tell her so many lies?

Hah.

He loved her.

Hah.

* * *

Rhett lay on the hard ground amongst other Confederate soldiers. His mind was on Scarlett, as it usually was. He was still quite shocked at his conduct. He had confessed love to her, and then kissed her. What made him act like that?

It had to have been her look of helplessness. She was so beautiful, and quite obviously unaware of her hold over him. He just hadn't been able to help himself. Now that it was done, there wasn't much he could do about it, and he rolled onto his side and fell into an uneasy sleep.

**ANOTHER A/N: Okay, okay, okay, I know it's short. Believe me, I know. I seem to have some sort of problem that disables me from writing long chapters. You guys should see my notebook, I mean I have, literally, one sentence stories. You guys would like go into spasms if I ever posted one of those! But anyways, I'm sorry it was short, but I'd really like to know what you think! I like the idea that I have (it's in my head, not on paper yet) but if no one really thinks the story has much promise, then I won't really bother to post it. It's up to yall! **

**REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW…but please don't say it was too short! Because, yes, I know, it was!**


	2. The Unkissable Chapter

**Whoa, it's been a long time since I've decided to grace this story with an update. But, I now have a handle on how I want this story to pan out, which is, for me, a huuuuge step. So, once again, I apologize for not updating sooner, but I hope everyone likes this chapter. Sorry it isn't longer, but at least it's something…(winkwink)**

**DISCLAIMER: nada about sums up what I own.**

"'_Scarlett, what happened out there had nothing to do with love. It was a celebration of survival, that's all. You see it after every battle in wartime. The men who don't get killed fall on the first woman they see and prove they're still alive by using her body. In this case you used mine, too, because you'd narrowly escaped dying. It had nothing to do with love!'"_

_--Rhett to Scarlett in **Scarlett**, by Alexandra Ripley, page 317, chapter 32._

**Chapter 2**

Scarlett wiped the sweat from her brown using her forearm. She glanced down at her reflection in the water and almost jumped backwards. That woman staring back at her couldn't possibly be Scarlett O'Hara. That woman looked scary. Downright common. Her long black tresses were scooped into a messy bun on the top of her head and her face was almost tanned. Her prized pale complexion was no more than a dream away now.

Work at Tara was rough. She had little help; the girls were recovering and Tara's house servants were greatly offended by being asked to do the work of a field hand.

But she had done it. Yes, somehow, she had done it. She had survived the war. She had gotten safely home to Tara. She had won that battle, yet she was left battle-sore in more ways than even she herself was aware of. There was now a hardness in her green eyes that had not been there during even the worst of her previous transgressions. The teasing and flirtatious eyes others once recognized as Scarlett's had been replaced. They were now warning signs, screaming at others to keep their distance.

Tara had become somewhat of a refuge for Confederate soldiers on their way home. It had been Melly's warm-hearted idea, and Scarlett was none too pleased with the nasty, unshaven, and unkempt men sleeping on her porch. She wasn't surprised to see another lone man walking up the dirt pathway to Tara's now-worn front steps.

"Damn it," she swore softly to herself, angry at the prospect of feeding yet one more mouth. Tearing herself out of her reverie by the well, she walked to the front steps, not bothering to smooth down her rumpled dress or fly-away curls. From her vantage point, this man looked slightly different than the others. There was something about his presence that made her feel safe and endangered at the same time. Stepping several feet closer, she saw the man's face and felt her stomach drop out of her body as she sucked in her breath. She uttered another curse in her mind and stepped forward to greet that obnoxious, all-too-familiar Rhett Butler.

"Rhett."

"Scarlett."

"Well, if I had known you were coming I'd have fixed the place up," Scarlett commented sarcastically.

"It's quite alright, Scarlett. My appearance, however, is not fit to be viewed in the presence of a lady such as yourself," he grinned. "If you'll allow me to clean up, perhaps we might talk?"

"I'll have Mammy prepare you some bath water," Scarlett replied to his teasing matter-of-factly. Walking away, her mind began to spin and her stomach to churn.

"Mammy," she vaguely heard herself call, "please fetch our Mr. Butler here some water."

Mammy looked at Scarlett strangely, shaking her head, not sure what at yet, but knowing it was about to be for something, and walked away to fetch the water.

Scarlett's mind was speeding faster than it had in weeks. It had been four months since she had seen Rhett. He gave her the same feelings now as if nothing had come between them, even time. Walking briskly up the stairs, Scarlett knocked on the first door. Inside the small room, all was quiet but for a small voice that called out, "Yes? Come in."

"Hello, Melly. How are you feeling today, darling?" Her words were mechanic. They meant nothing. She didn't hear Melanie's answer. "Rhett's here," she blurted out.

"Oh, Captain Butler!" Melly's kind face lit up and a smile spread across her simple but elegant features. "Is he staying long?"

I hope not, Scarlett couldn't help but think to herself.

"I don't know yet. He wanted to wash up first…Melly, what should I do?"

"Offer him the guest bedroom. Make him welcome. We practically owe him our lives, darling."

"Miss Scarlett!" Scarlett heard Mammy beckoning her from the foyer.

"I'll be back, Melly."

Closing the door gently, Scarlett walked slowly down the stairs, thinking that the slower she walked, the better she would be able to think.

It didn't help.

"Mistah Butler want to talk to yous, Miss Scarlett. He on the porch."

"Thank you, Mammy, she murmured before approaching the deserted porch. Where had all the other men gone? There were three there this morning. Had they left without as much as a thank you? This was why Scarlett never went out of her way to be nice. She never got anything out of it.

"Rhett, I see you cleaned up. You look much less...you look better."

"Thank you, I think."

Breathing a deep sigh, she pushed the rest of her words from her throat where they seemed to have gotten stuck. "Do you need a place to stay? Is that why you're here? We have room—Melanie and I are grateful for all of your _help_," she forced out, biting back harsher comments.

"Actually, that would be wonderful."

"We have a guest bedroom you would be welcome to."

"Ah, a bed. I haven't slept in a bed in months," he winked at her.

What was that supposed to mean?

"Follow me, and I'll show you where it is. You're welcome to rest before dinner." She left out the part about dinner being the same meager grub every night.

Rhett didn't reply and Scarlett took that to mean he gave his consent. She began the uncharacteristically long walk up the stairs, inwardly sighing with every step.

The guest bedroom was right next to her bedroom.

**REVIEW! Please? That'd be beyond great!**


	3. It's a Pivotal Moment

**A/N: it's been ages. Not many people read this story, but I'd be honored if you do and review it! It'd honestly make my day. I like this story, and so mostly I'm updating it for me, I wanna see it through as much as anyone who reads it. Regardless of whether you like it or don't like it, review!**

_Disclaimer: I don't own GWTW, its characters, its plot, yada yada yada. _

**Chapter 3 of Kissing the Rod That Chastised Me**

After showing Rhett the now rather shabby guest bedroom, Scarlett decided to take her own advice and rest before dinner. Tara could get along without her for an hour.

Walking into her room, she heaved a weary sigh. Walking over to her bed, she flopped down and looked out the window. The paint on the frame had begun to chip.

The dusty road below was vacant and lonely. She remembered lighter times when she had rushed down that same beaten path to meet her father from whatever trip he had gone on. He always had something pretty for her, his favorite little girl. And now…well, she didn't like to think of her Pa.

Scarlett wished that she could travel down that road and just walk. She could walk forever if she thought it would make things return to the way they were.

But that was never going to happen.

As much as she wished it, she couldn't turn back the cruel hands of time. They kept spinning faster forwards, relentless of the devastation they left in their wake. Lying on her stomach on the worn quilt she had sewn at the tender age of ten, she rested, her head cradled on her forearms.

She was so tired. It was hard to sleep at night due to her frequent and varied night terrors. Consequently, she was often the first awake at Tara, surpassing even the sun. In the early morning hours she would sit at the kitchen table and think.

Mostly, she thought about money: when, how, _where_ she was going to get it. But sometimes, when she least expected it and her guard was down, she thought about Rhett.

Which is what she was doing now, lying on her bed. It was weird to think about him in here, almost as if he were right there next to her…which is why she never let herself think about him in her bedroom. It was too dangerous—she hated her traitorous thoughts of Rhett's warm body pressed against hers, his lips against her ears like fire—stop! She had to stop thinking about him!

If she could just push all thoughts from her mind and if she just closed her eyes tightly shut maybe she would be free of them.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she found no relief. Lifting her head to free one arm, she used it to rub her aching head. Releasing her tension she exhaled deeply. Trying to focus on breathing, she almost forgot about her problems. It was enough. Feeling the full body fluidity that came right before sleep, she draped her arm over her head and slipped into the elusive state of slumber.

* * *

Knocking lightly on Scarlett's door, Rhett sucked in his breath.

Odd.

Why wasn't she answering? He stepped into the room as quietly as he could. Looking around the large room, which had probably at one time been very beautiful, the desolation and the aftermath of the war were visible through its current state. The room was the most sparsely furnished of all that he had seen since entering the house, and he wondered if perhaps Scarlett had moved some of her own unscathed furniture to other various parts of the house. The room was everything Scarlett O'Hara was not: plain, ragged, and utterly without appeal. Even sleeping, as she currently was, she was beautiful. He moved towards her sleeping figure to wake her, but found he hadn't the heart. Leaving her to sleep, he exited the room as quietly as he had entered.

He decided it would be best to return to his room until someone came to tell him dinner was ready. He lie down on the bed, and like Scarlett, soon fell asleep.

Unlike Scarlett, he woke up to the aroma of freshly cooked dinner. He retreated down the stairs of Tara and headed into the kitchen to find Melanie toiling over a large meal.

He raised his eyebrows at her before adding kindly, "Are you supposed to be out of bed?"

She gave him a conspiratorial smile, but kept cooking. When she spoke it was with the same characteristic softness that trailed her everywhere she went. She could be standing in the middle of a battlefield and retain the same quiet semblance.

"Scarlett's resting. I thought I'd help make dinner so she could sleep. She normally doesn't sleep well, the poor dear."

Rhett was, as usual, amazed by Melly's unique ability to put others always before herself.

"I see. Can I help you?" he offered, trying to do the gentlemanly thing.

"I can manage, though it's so kind of you to offer," she replied.

Rhett looked around the rather large kitchen before taking a seat at a worn-looking table.

"So you say Scarlett doesn't sleep well? He asked, trying not to show his genuine concern.

It didn't help.

Melly had a gift of reading and understanding even the most complex people, not excluding Rhett.

"Oh, don't worry about Scarlett, Captain Butler," she gently told him.

She truly was worried about her sister-in-law whom she was so fond of, even if she wouldn't ever dream of troubling Rhett with it. Melly was a light sleeper and she could hear Scarlett moving around her room. When she got up for the day it was hours before the dawn. She feared that Scarlett was working herself into an early grave. Rest would do her good, she thought with a mental nod of her head.

Two days later, however, Melly was beginning to wonder just how much sleep was healthy. Scarlett had slept straight through for a grand total of 48 hours and counting. Melanie bit her lower lip before knocking on the door in front of her. Her knock was timid, but served its purpose. Moments later Rhett Butler appeared bleary-eyed at his bedroom door.

"Is she still sleeping? He asked, voice heavy with sleep. After the first day Scarlett had slept Melanie had let all of her concerns spill to Rhett and the two had agreed that it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep an eye on her. The pair had kept a round the clock watch on the sleeping young woman, and both were clearly exhausted, especially Melly.

"Yes, the poor dear," was her weak reply.

Rhett gave her a scrutinizing look before telling her he would take his turn now. He was beginning to worry more about Melanie Wilkes than Scarlett. After seeing that Melanie was safely back in her bed sleeping, Rhett regained his post as Scarlett's watch-owl. Her breathing was steady, and she looked more at peace than he had ever seen her before. There was something magnetic about her that he couldn't pinpoint, but he felt its presence just the same.

* * *

Once again Scarlett was dreaming that she was with Rhett, and he was kissing her again as he had before he had so gallantly departed. Their mouths met and she sighed as his delicious lips devoured her own. What was it about this man? He filled everything in her dream, similar to the way his presence filled her when he was near.

And suddenly the kiss ended, and all she met was darkness.

**A/N**: **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. It shouldn't take me long at all to update because I have plans for this story and know where I plan on taking it next. However, don't hold me to that promise because it could be a week or so before it is updated. But I'll try to make it soon. Review if you would! (by the way, sorry this wasn't an extremely high-energy chapter. next chapter things'll liven up)**


	4. Unstoppable

**A/N: oops, that was supposed to be a quick update. This is what happens when you're stupid and sign up for 4 AP classes. You're too busy to do anything you love! Ah, well, here's chapter 4…hope you like!**

**Chapter 4: Unstoppable**

Rhett entered the dark room quietly as not to disturb the sleeping woman it enveloped. Heaving a tired sigh, he sunk his body into the chair resting at Scarlett's bedside, wincing as it creaked under his weight. He listened closely, hearing the soft, steady sound of her breathing. At first she seemedquite still as she slept, but he soon saw that every few minutes she would stir in the slightest, muttering incoherent words beneath her breath. It was evident that she was having nightmares of some kind, and he found himself wishing that he could climb into her dreams and fight them off. He didn't like that feeling.

Resting his feet on the floor, he leaned is head forward to lie on Scarlett's bed beside her sleeping figure. The cool sheets felt good against his head. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of her breathing again. He found it rather relaxing, the steady rise and fall of her chest causing the bed to move up and down the slightest fraction with each breath. The quiet, rocking motion soon calmed him enough to where he began to lose track of what he was supposed to be doing and he drifted off into sleep.

"Mother!" Scarlett yelled and flailed her arms about, lost in the world of dreams.

Her straying arms connected with something solid next to her head. Sitting up quickly, Scarlett O'Hara looked around her bedroom, seeking the unknown object she had struck. She couldn't see a thing; the room was as dark as the sky outside. She felt around for the object and was surprised when her hand felts something soft and silky. It felt like…why it felt like hair! Half asleep, she unconsciously began stroking the hair. "Mother?" she called out, confused and unsure. She wasn't sure where she was or why she was there, but she was oddly comforted. It was Mother, nursing her, and she must have fallen asleep. Poor mother, she worked herself entirely too hard.

"Mother," she called out again, causing the head she was stroking to stir beneath her hands.

"Scarlett?"

The deep voice which had just erupted from the figure next to her was clearly not that of Ellen O'Hara. It was distinctly male.

"But mother…" she whimpered, her mind clearing enough to remember that Ellen O'Hara couldn't possibly be there nursing her because Ellen O'Hara…no! She couldn't think about that.

"Scarlett."

There was that voice again! Not Pa's, this man's accent was not Irish. Who could possibly be in her room at this hour?

"Scarlett, it's me, Rhett. Are you awake?"

Rhett? Rhett. But not Rhett Butler! He couldn't be at Tara…but yes, he was! It all beganflooding back now, all of the emptiness of her world was coming back to spread within her heart.

"Oh, Rhett, it's you," she whispered.

He couldn't help but feel as if there were tears in her eyes as she said the words. "Come now, Scarlett. What's wrong? Are you feeling well?"

Worried, Rhett brushed his hand against her forehead. It was cool, not at all feverish as he had expected it to be.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she replied quietly, brushing his hand away from her forehead. "What's going on, Rhett? Why are you here in my room? Do you find me so fascinating even in slumber?"

A low laugh tumbled from his throat, and she felt a rush of heat course through her veins at the sound. His voice was so deep when heavy with sleep that it was quite shocking. "Scarlett, as fascinating as I find you, that's not why I'm here. You've been asleep for two days. Mrs. Wilkes was quite worried. I offered to relieve her for a while so she might rest."

"Oh, Melly. She shouldn't be worrying about me. She isn't well herself and the last thing I need is another sick—" at this, her voice broke, and she thought again of her mother.

"Shh, Scarlett. Go back to sleep, you can see to Melly in the morning, darling," he consoled her, uneasy at the tears streaming down her face. He had rarelyseen Scarlett cry, and it was unsettling. Trying his best to comfort her, he climbed next to her on the bed and wrapped her small frame in a hug. He hoped she wouldn't shrug him off as she had his hand on her forehead. He absentmindedly rubbed her back in small circles until she quieted.

Laying her down on her bed, he slipped his arm from beneath her waist. He straightened up and rubbed the base of his neck. Scarlett O'Hara just might be the one woman he would never understand.

One minute he thought he understood her perfectly. She was always in control of her emotions. Everything she did stemmed from an inner reason. She was incessantly selfish and motivated almost solely by greed.

Then in the next minute, she was sobbing in his arms and crying out for her mother. Maybe it would be better if he just stopped trying to understand her.

"Rhett?" Scarlett called out, her voice no longer sounding as disoriented as it had moments before.

"I thought you were sleeping. You should rest some more, Scarlett. At least until morning," he told her, instantly feeling guilty at his less than gentle tone.

"I can't sleep anymore. I've slept too much already," she lied. It was true that she had slept too much recently, she could tell by the throbbing in her head. She felt like she had in the lazy days before the war when Mammy had let her sleep until noon. She had always awakened with pounding headaches, not aided by Mammy telling her it was her own fault. The truth was that this whole situation she had just awakened into was very odd. Rhett Butler was here in her room, and she was quite sure that she had just heard him call her 'darling' in an attempt to calm her down.

This was the same Rhett Butler who left you on the side of the road, she reminded herself, but was surprised when the usual stirrings of anger at this memory didn't fill her stomach. What was this? Just because she could tell that he had been worried about her meant that the man could instantly be forgiven of all of the things he had done to her? She hoped he realized that she wouldn't let go of matters that easily.

There! That had done the trick; anger rose inside of her. Finally, an emotion she could deal with and one that she understood. It felt good to be back on common ground. Grief and stirrings of something she couldn't fathom simply did not suit her. Anger gave her an easy out every time, and she planned to use it fully to her advantage, beginning right now.

**Another A/N: Don't you want to review? I know you do, so make us both happy! I'll apologize again for the long period between updates, and hope you liked the chapter. **


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